asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has now given further consideration to referring the remuneration of pharmacists to a review body; and when he expects such a referral to be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress he has made in his discussions relating to the implementation of the Franks committee recommendation on establishing a review body for the remuneration of pharmacists.

My right hon. Friend has nearly completed his consideration of the proposal to establish a review body to deal with NHS remuneration for retail pharmacists and he hopes to be able to announce his decision very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what financial limits are placed upon persons who receive cash benefits for the purchase of furniture and removal expenses; and how often one person may obtain receipt of these benefits.

In essence, the policy of the Supplementary Benefits Commission is that furniture and other goods, for which it gives exceptional needs payments, should be of cheap but durable quality, and that is the financial limiting factor. The Commission will not give exceptional needs payments repeatedly for the same items to the same claimants.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what date he expects to publish the Rayner report on payments to pensioners and other beneficiaries through sub-post offices.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will be able to make an announcement about the payment of pensions and social benefits through the local post offices; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend said to the House on 19 February.—[Vol. 979, c. 264–316]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further representations he has had from sub-postmasters in respect of the Rayner report; and if he will make a statement.

I met representatives of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters on 20 February to learn at first hand about their concerns and views on possible changes in the arrangements for paying social security benefits. I assured them that changes which threatened the foundations of the sub-post office network would be inconsistent with the Government's aim of sustaining local communities and the services on which they depend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on child benefit levels.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the level of child benefits.

Any change in the levels of child benefit will be announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer tomorrow.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he intends to take advertising space in respect of all future changes in national insurance contributions.

It is the normal practice of the Department to advertise the changes in national insurance contribution rates which take place at the beginning of each tax year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the current provision of ambulance services.

Like most services it is capable of improvement. Last year the Standing Commission on Pay Comparability made a number of suggestions for improving efficiency in the ambulance service and these are at present being considered by NHS management. In addition, the NHS has agreed to set up a working group to identify patient transport needs and to consider the future role and structure of the service in the light of these.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the latest position in relation to current research into the effectiveness of whooping cough vaccine; and if he will take a statement.

A number of recent studies have confirmed the protective effect of whooping cough vaccine.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will carry out a national review of the occupancy rate of community homes and make recommendations.

No. Occupancy rates in community homes are best reviewed locally by regional planning committees and local authorities who are responsible for ensuring that the provision available in their areas matches the requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further representations he has received concerning the proposed closure of the Royal Liverpool children's hospital.

Since my reply on 1 November 1979, a further 35 letters from hon. Members and 18 from private individuals have been received about the proposed closure of the Royal Liverpool children's hospital.—[Vol. 972, c. 653–4.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will announce the growth rates by percentage in real terms for each health region in England for the financial year 1980–81 as compared with financial year 1979–80.

Increases in revenue allocations for 1980–81 over 1979–80 are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will seek to encourage health authorities to reduce the proportion of their costs expended on clerical, administrative and ancillary services.

We have already pressed health authorities to seek the most effective use of resources in providing services to patients, and have welcomed examples where resources have been switched to patient care from administration and support services. We are also consulting on proposals to simplify the structure and management arrangements of the Service. If these are implemented, in the longer term they should lead to a reduction of up to 10 per cent. in management costs, which would free about £30 million a year for expenditure on services to patients.

asked the Secretary of State for Soc, al Services what plans he has to help the growing number of single-parent families.

Several measures to be introduced under the Social Security Bill now before Parliament will be of significant help to one-parent families dependent on supplementary benefit. We have already demonstrated our commitment to help all lone parents and we shall continue to do all we can, within the limits of available resources, for these and other disadvantaged groups.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that there is adequate provision of community-based alternatives to residential care for juvenile offenders.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 18 March to the hon. Members for Battersea, South (Mr. Dubs) and Hammersmith, North (Mr. Soley).—[Vol. 981, c. 145–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when next he will meet the, chairman of the Supplementary Benefits Commission.

I plan to do so on 14 April as part of the regular consultation which takes place between DHSS Ministers and the Supplementary Benefits Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the National Health Service with regard to dentistry and preventive medicine have been, or will be, implemented.

As indicated in the foreword to the consultative paper "Patients First", these and other recommendations of the Royal Commission on the National Health Service are under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what restrictions are placed on former members of his Department regarding giving details of abuses of the social security system, whether or not individuals are mentioned by name.

Civil servants who leave the Department remain subject to the provision of Official Secrets Acts. The position under the Acts is that they are liable to prosecution if, without official sanction, they communicate either orally or in writing to an unauthorised person any information they have acquired through their official duties or to which they had access owing to their official positions, although the Acts do not apply to information which has already officially been made public.Whether or not it would be thought right to take action against a former member of the Department for un-authorised disclosure would of course depend on the circumstances. It is fundamental to public confidence in the social security system that the names and circumstances of claimants are not disclosed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received on the future of community health councils; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend will not be in a position to make a statement on the future of community health councils until all comments sent in response to the recent consultative document "Patients First", have been received and considered. Comments were asked for by 30 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to restrict the circumstances in which children in care may be adopted in the face of the opposition of one or both natural parents and guarantee reasonable rights of access to such children by the parents.

No. Substantial changes in children's legislation were made only just over 4 years ago in the Children Act 1975. It is too soon to consider further substantial changes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress is being made in appointing additional inspectors to detect fraud in the claiming of social security benefits.

Good progress is being made in selecting, recruiting and training the additional fraud and abuse specialists mentioned in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdonshire (Mr. Major) on 13 February.—[Vol. 978, c. 710–11] This will be one aspect of the further statement promised in my reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Bar (Mr. Rooker) and others today

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will outline the measures he intends taking to prevent the abuse of social security benefits.

I gave details of the Government's plan in my reply to my hon. Friend, the Member for Huntingdonshire (Mr. Major) on 13 February—[Vol. 978, c. 710–1.] I shall be making a further detailed statement in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement concerning the study that is being made into the possible replacement of the National Health Service by an insurance-funded scheme.

As I have made clear—[Vol. 977, c. 462–3.]—I believe that we should examine features of insurance-based health systems to see what advantages they offer over the National Health Service, for example allowing greater patient choice and flexibility. In addition, there are some deficiencies in the NHS, such as excessive waiting lists, which are not found in countries whose health services are financed through insurance. I have therefore asked officials in the Department to look at the experience of other countries with developed health services, though this study is as yet at a very early stage. Any radical change in the basis of financing the NHS must depend upon very careful assessment of all the advantages and disadvantages, and would have to be the subject of widespread public discussion and consultation. I do not anticipate putting early proposals forward.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further consideration he has given to the possibility of changing the method of payment of State retirement pensions.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 28 February.—[Vol. 979, c. 1564.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made by the Council of Ministers in its endeavours to extend the scope of the EEC social security regulations; and if he will make a statement.

The Commission's proposals to extend the scope of the European Community social security regulations to self-employed and insured non-employed persons were again considered by the Council of Ministers last November. The majority welcomed the proposals but agreement could not be reached because of reservations by some member States on the legal basis for extension to the non-employed and technical points concerning family benefit and invalidity pension.The Council directed the Committee of Permanent Representatives to seek solutions to these problems without delay, and discussions continue.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will place in the Library copies of his corres- pondence with the chairman of the Derbyshire area health authority regarding hospital closures, and the financial statement of accounts for 1978–79 presented to him by that authority.

A copy of the financial statement of accounts for 1978–79 of Derbyshire area health authority is being placed in the Library. With the agreement of the chairman of Derbyshire area health authority, I am arranging for copies of our correspondence, together with the paper prepared in January by the AHA on its financial situation in 1979–80 also to be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that the statistical information provided to him is adequate to enable him to make an accurate assessment of the appropriate allocation of funds between area health authorities.

I make allocations to regional health authorities which in turn make funds available to area health authorities. My decisions are based on the resource allocation working party's formula, but take account also of special factors, such as exceptionally rapid population growth.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the aggregate cost to public funds of social security benefit paid to those involved in the steel strike, and on behalf of their dependants, respectively; and what estimate he has made of strike or other benefits paid by the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation to those it has ordered out on strike.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total sum that has been paid to date in supplementary benefit (a) to steel strikers, and (b) to strikers' dependants.

Up to 18 March, £70,300 and £7,264,000 respectively in supplementary benefit. The answer to the last part of the question is "None".

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received about the pensionable age of men being 65 years; and if he has plans to reduce this pensionable age.

I have received representations from time to time from organisations, from hon. Members, and from individual members of the public. The majority have been in favour of a reduction in men's pensionable age. This would be very costly and my right hon. Friend has no plans to make such a reduction.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the reductions in expenditure on the personal social services are greater than those sought from any other public service.

Although there were higher reductions on expenditure in some public services, the tentative figures in the Government's expenditure plans 1980–81 (Cmnd. 7746) did show an above average reduction for local authority personal social services. Given the Government's commitment to defence, law and order, social security, the NHS and teaching standards, this was inevitable if the country is to live within its means, but it is for local authorities to determine the eventual distribution of expenditure between their services in the light of local needs and conditions. The voluntary sector probably already makes a larger contribution in the social services field than the statutory sector and there is scope for increasing this still further. This is not so true of other public services.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many emergency night-call services for general practitioners are now operating in the 16 area health authorities in Greater London; what is the present number of general practitioners in those areas holding National Health Service lists of patients; how many general practitioners have contracted out of their unsocial hours; and if he will make a statement.

I am of seven such deputising services; and there were, at 1 October 1979, 3,504 general practitioners of whom one had contracted out of his out-of-hours responsibilities. The deputising services are used by doctors who have remained responsible for round-the-clock services but who discharge part of that responsibility through deputies employed by these services.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the annual cost of exempting people with a severe visual handicap from payment of optical charges.

We cannot make a precise estimate but the exemption would be likely to cost between £500,000 and £750,000 per annum in England.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is now in a position to give details of the proposed scheme to help low-income households with their fuel bills.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Mr. Skeet) on 11 March.—[Vol. 980, c. 518.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further steps he proposes to take to improve the safety of medical drugs.

In conjunction with other Health Ministers of the United Kingdom, I shall continue to exercise the powers contained in the Medicines Act and to take full account of the advice received from the Medicines Commission, the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Committee on Review of Medicines and other advisory bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to make a statement on the abuse of the National Health Service by tourists.

I cannot yet add anything to my reply on 4 February—[Vol. 978, c. 70.] but hope to be able to do so in the fairly near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what principles govern the remuneration of general practitioners supplying casualty services in hospitals.

I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of health circular HC (PC)(79)5 which sets out the arrangements for the remuneration of such doctors, and shall write more fully in reply to his letter.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is now able to give a date for the publication of the White Paper on the elderly.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for St. Pancras, North (Mr. Stallard) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the additional numbers of people who will qualify for supplementary benefit as a result of the forthcoming rent increase of £2·10 per week in council house rents; and what is the global sum of money that will be involved in the payment of this benefit to the total claimants.

I regret that it is not possible to make such estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to which hospital psychogeriatric and psychiatric patients from the Rother Valley constituency will be admitted since such admission to Sheffield hospitals is apparently no longer possible; and what extra provision is being urgently made by the Rotherham area health authority.

Psychogeriatric and psychiatric patients in the Rotherham health area are admitted to Rotherham district general hospital or Swallownest hospital for hospital treatment. There are two unopened psychiatric wards at the district general hospital, but the area health authority is unable to open them at present because of financial and staff recruitment difficulties; I understand that the AHA has arranged a meeting to discuss this problem with the RHA next month. People requiring psychiatric care who are not admitted to hospital are cared for in the community by the primary care and specialist community psychiatric nursing teams.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will ensure that all pregnant women who are known to be at risk of passing on Huntington's chorea are given prenatal screening tests;(2) if he will implement the recommendation of the Office of Health Economics to set up a single service agency to span the gap between residential and community care for those suffering from Huntington's chorea; and if he will make a statement;(3) how much Her Majesty's Government have provided towards research into Huntington's chorea in 1978–79;(4) what is the estimated cost per year of caring for patients suffering from Huntington's chorea.

I have just received a copy of the booklet "Huntington's Chorea" published earlier this month by the Office of Health Economics (OHE) and have studied it with interest. However, as the OHE fully appreciates, it would be unrealistic to expect recommendations with financial or manpower implications to be implemented until the general economic situation improves. In the meantime, the Department is continuing to encourage close liaison between health and local authorities—both of which may provide various forms of community and residential care for this group—about the provision of services for all severely physically and mentally handicapped people.The degree of disability of people suffering from Huntington's chorea varies greatly, as does the need for and cost of services. These needs are best met from a wide range of integrated services, including residential care. As the statistical data collected on the cost of providing the range of relevant services are not analysed by reference to specific diseases, it is not possible to say how much money is spent annually on helping sufferers.Within the limits of current medical knowledge, there is no test that can determine if a person with a family history of this condition is in fact a carrier of it, and there are no prenatal screening tests for the disease. The only present means of reducing its incidence is genetic counselling of potential carriers with a view to ensuring that they are fully aware of the risks attendant on their having children. Such counselling is available under the NHS through general practitioners, who may refer any patient needing expert advice to specialist genetic advisory centres.This Department and the Department of Education and Science are funding research by the Medical Research Council. As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science explained on 14 February—[Vol. 978, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received and from what bodies concerning the future of Farnham Park rehabilitation centre, Buckinghamshire; what reply he has sent; and if he will make a statement.

By 19 March, 15 letters had been received—all from individual members of the public (12 of these through hon. Members) about the Oxford regional health authority's proposal to close the Farnham Park rehabilitation centre. I am replying that this proposal is currently the subject of public consultation locally in accordance with normal procedures. In the circumstances, I think that it would be inappropriate to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are waiting to be admitted to hospitals in each of the regional health authority areas of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and if he will detail the category of treatment required.

The quantity of material requested is extensive. I am, therefore, writing to the hon. Member and will place of copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many further heart patients it is planned to transfer from Merseyside to London for treatment;(2) when he expects there will be no further need to transfer heart patients from Merseyside to London;(3) if heart patients from Merseyside have been transferred for treatment in hospitals other than those in London; and, if so, how many and to where.

I understand that Liverpool area health authority (teaching) has no plans at present to transfer any further heart patients to London or elsewhere. No patients have been transferred to hospitals other than to those listed in my reply to the hon. Member of 13 March.—[Vol. 980, c. 676.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total cost to the National Health Service of the transfer of heart patients from Merseyside to London; how much of this has been borne by the Mersey regional health authority; and how much of the total has been paid to private clinics and hospitals.

Information on the total cost to the National Health Service is not readily available. The costs of treating patients under the NHS are borne by the health authorities providing the treatment, but inter-regional patient transfers are taken into account in determining revenue allocations. The patients transferred to private clinics were treated free of charge to the NHS under special arrangements with a private medical organisation except for the cost of the heart valves which was met by the Liverpool area health authority (teaching). In all cases the patients' travelling expenses to and from London were met by the AHA(T).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the total number of hospital beds in the Essex area for each of the main specialties; how many in each of these were not in use in May 1979, to achieve economies in expenditure; and how many further beds in each case have been taken out of service or are scheduled to be taken out of service since that date for any reason;(2) if he will list the reductions made or planned in services to patients in the Harlow district of the Essex area health authority since May 1979; and if he will make a statement.

The average daily number of available hospital beds in the Essex Area Health Authority for each of the main specialties as at 31 December 1978 is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the total funds provided to the Essex area health authority for each of the past five years in real terms, which take into account inflation, and indicate in each case the population which this authority is required to serve.

Regional health authorities are responsible for the allocation of resources to area health authorities and the hon. Member may like to seek this information direct from the North-East Thames regional health authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it is intended to discontinue earnings related unemployment benefit; and what other proposals are intended regarding social security benefits.

Changes in the rates of social security benefits are normally announced at the time of the Budget. I must ask the hon. Member to await the Budget Statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will confirm that St. George's hospital, Hyde Park Corner, is to be run in future by an American group led by Geoffrey Howard.

No decision has yet been taken about the future of this building.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what medical evidence has convinced his Department that textured vegetable protein can be used for up to 30 per cent. of institutionalised meals, in the light of medical evidence that such percentages produce digestive disorders in addition to unpalatability.

The recommendation that up to 30 per cent. of vegetable pro- tein foods may replace meat in institutional catering was made in the report on the Nutritional Aspects of Vegetable Protein Foods which are meat analogues by an expert panel of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA), the Committee that advises the Department on the health aspects of nutrition (Report on Health and Social Subjects No. 17). The panel was set up to review the recommendations of the 1974 Food Standards Committee report on novel protein foods of which one recommendation was that up to 10 per cent. of vegetable protein foods may replace meat in institutional catering.The panel had regard to the experience of the United States Department of Agriculture which has permitted the replacement of up to 30 per cent. of meat by suitably fortified vegetable protein food in its school lunch programme. Consultation with the USDA revealed that for more than seven years, this food has been used without evidence of any harmful effects resulting from this substitution. The panel's report drew to the attention of those responsible for planning the diets of certain groups of people, particularly the elderly, the fact that trials had shown that the introduction of vegetable protein foods might affect palatability and could be associated with excessive flatulence.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many separate commercial concerns supply the National Health Service with surgical appliances.

The Department has arranged contracts for the supply of surgical appliances to NHS hospitals with 178 commercial concerns (153 in England and Wales, 20 in Scotland, and 5 in Northern Ireland).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the anticipated cost of the Rayner committee.

I understand that the hon. Member has in mind the recent study which examined the arrangements for paying social security benefits in consultation with Sir Derek Rayner. The estimated total cost of the study carried out by three officials of my Department was £23,000. The study identified changes in the arrangements for paying benefits which. if they were ever implemented in full, might lead after some years to estimated annual savings in DHSS administrative costs of some £50 million a year. However, I have already made it clear that certain of the proposals, for example, requiring most pensioners to accept payment of their pension fortnightly, are not being proceeded with.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wood Green on 23 October 1979, he will confirm that the number of two-parent families receiving supplementary benefit at December 1977 was 150,000; and if he will explain the discrepancy between that figure and the figure given in table 34.81 of the Social Security Statistics 1977 which indicates that there are 231,000 two-parent families on supplementary benefit.

With one exception, all the columns in table 34.81 of Social Security Statistics 1977 include some one-parent families as well as two-parent families. The exception is the twelfth column, which is confined to residual figures for the one-parent families not included elsewhere. The hon. Member will therefore appreciate that table 34.81 cannot be used in the way he suggests.The number of two-parent families receiving supplementary benefit at the end of 1977 is estimated at about 227,000. This includes, however, over 70,000 families where the head of the family was in one of three main groups: over pension age; not living in a private household; or sick or unemployed for less than three months. The remainder, about 150,000, were shown in my reply to the hon. Member on 23 October 1979.—[Vol. 967, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration his Department has given to the pilot survey of health and disability in the metropolitan borough of Bolton, undertaken by Mr. Peter M. Chisvall of the Manchester business school under the sponsorship of the Bolton community health council; if he will commend such surveys to other community health councils; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the pilot survey was prepared for the Bolton community health council with the collaboration and active support of both the Bolton area health authority and the social services department of the metropolitan borough of Bolton and that it is being considered in Bolton. I regard such activity by community health councils as very useful and I am glad to see that the publication "CHC News" regularly draws attention of community health councils to such surveys.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost to the National Health Service of making available children's spectacles with toughened glass or plastic lenses.

Where a clinical need exists, toughened glass lenses for children can already be provided under the National Health Service through the hospital eye service. The additional cost of making them generally available to all children through the general ophthalmic services would probably be about £2 million. Plastic lenses also can be provided through the hospital eye service where a clinical need exists and in December 1978 they were made available through the General ophthalmic services to children with very poor sight. The extra cost of extending their availability generally to all children might be just over £1 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table for the latest available year showing for each medical specialty the number of consultants employed, the number employed full-time and the number employed for each gradation of part-time service allowed by the contracts of employment.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing, for each type of spectacle frame available from the National Health Service, the date on which it was

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of providing a free comprehensive dental service available throughout the country as part of the National Health Service designed and introduced; and if he has any plans for modernising the style of spectacle frames available.

The table below lists the frames currently available through the general ophthalmic services and shows the date of their introductions.

It is estimated that, in terms of the income that would be forgone from patients' charges, the cost in 1980–81 of providing a free general dental service in Great Britain would be of the order of £89 million at November 1979 prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing for the latest available year, in relation to general practitioners, dentists and hospital consultants (a) the total number employed or contracted on a full-time basis and (b) the number employed or contracted for each gradation of part-time service allowed for by the relevant contracts of employment.

The information requested is in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing for the years 1948, 1958, 1968, 1978 and the latest available year, the number of hospitals of the fol-

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing for each of the years 1975–76 to 1979–80, the number of private beds in National Health Service hospitals, by specialisation.

The information is not available. Authorisations are in terms of number of pay beds per hospital or group of hospitals and not in terms of use of beds by specialty. The total number of pay beds in NHS hospitals (England) in the last five years is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing, for each of the last five years, the cost to the National Health Service of supplying surgical appliances, and the revenue received from patients, for those appliances.

The information requested is not maintained centrally, but approximate totals of the value of lowing sizes 20 beds or less, 21 to 100 beds, 101 to 500 beds, 501 to 1,000 beds and 1,000 beds plus.

Information is not held in the precise form requested. The following table sets out the closest available:surgical appliances supplied by the National Health Service in England and Wales are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many investigations by social security officers were undertaken in the years 1978, 1979 and the current year to date; and whether there has been an increase in such investigations since May 1979.

Fraud statistics are kept on a February to February basis. The latest available figures of the total number of social security fraud investigations, including those undertaken in whole or in part by the police, post office or Department of Employment, are:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many investigations have been undertaken by social security officers into suspected cohabitation in the years 1978, 1979 and the current year to date; and how many of these were ultimately substantiated;(2) how many successful prosecutions as a result of investigations into cohabitation there have been in 1977, 1978, 1979 and the current year to date.

The current policy is to encourage a claimant who begins to form a husband and wife relationship to consult her local social security office for advice on how her benefit entitlement may be affected. Nowadays local offices have a specially trained officer to deal with this subject.Fraud investigations are necessary only where it appears that the claimant has deliberately concealed that she is living with a man as his wife.Data about such fraud investigations are not kept in the precise form requested by the hon. Member. Such data as are available are as follows:—

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the likely annual cost of medical treatment of, and supplementary benefit not recovered by, elderly dependants of immigrants who have themselves not contributed to United Kingdom national insurance funds.

The information on which such estimates might be based is not available. Payment of contributions has no bearing on eligibility to use the NHS or to receive supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing for each of the last five years the amount of blood from the National Blood Transfusion Service used in private hospitals separate from the National Health Service and the cost to the National Blood Transfusion Service of supplying this blood.

I regret that this information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average length of time (a) a retirement pensioner, (b) an unemployment claimant, (c) a disabled claimant and (d) a widowed claimant draws the relevant national insurance benefit.

I regret that the in formation is not available in this form.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why he could not keep to the previously planned timetable for completing the phasing-in of the mobility allowance by 31 December 1979; how many eligible people are still awaiting payment of the allowance; and if they will be compensated for reduction in the value of their entitlements because of inflation.

The phasing-in of mobility allowance was completed on 7 September 1979, some four months earlier than previously planned. About 22,000 people over 60 claimed before 28 November 1979, the first payment date, and over 17,500 awards have been made to this age group. We continue to receive about 1,300 claims each week from people aged between 5 and 65.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing, for each of the last five years, the receipts of the National Health Service from prescrip-

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the level of a pension paid to (a) a single pensioner and (b) a married couple, if the pension was based on the actuarial basis of part contributions.

The national insurance scheme is run on a pay-as-you-go basis whereby contribution rates are reviewed each year and set at such a level that total contribution income, including any Exchequer supplement, is broadly sufficient to meet benefit outgo. The amount of pension benefit that an individual pensioner receives is not therefore related actuarily to the amount that he and his employer have paid since the scheme began in 1948. It would not be possible without undue expense and making a number of assumptions, for example on past earnings and future inflation, to produce an answer to the question.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children were estimated to be suffering from scoliosis at the latest convenient date; how this compares with figures for each of the previous five years; and if he is satisfied that enough is done to detect scoliosis in children.

I regret that this information cannot be obtained from available statistics, but I am informed that a recent study has suggested that a screening programme is likely to reveal that tion charges, dental charges and ophthalmic charges, and the percentage contribution which those charges made to the financing of the National Health Service.

The figures for England are as follows:some 2·5 per cent. of children between the ages of 9 and 14 have spinal deformity. This information is quoted in a report just received from the Disabilities Study Unit and which is being studied in the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many adults are currently suffering from scoliosis; and what proportion of these could have been treated with earlier detection of the condition.

I regret that this information is not available. Whether any particular adult now suffering from scoliosis could have been treated successfully with earlier detection of the condition is a matter for clinical judgment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present waiting list for patients requiring surgery in Scunthorpe general hospital.

At 31 December 1979, there was a total of 1,678 patients on the waiting list for surgical operations at Scunthorpe general hospital. I suggest that, if my hon. Friend wants further information on this matter, he may like to consult the Humberside area health authority direct.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what has been the response so far to paragraph 26 of the consultative document "Patients First" which seeks views on whether community health councils should be retained;(2) how many submissions have been received (

Comments on "Patients First" were asked for by 30 April and many are still expected. The impression from the response so far is that more are in favour of retaining CHCs than are against. Detailed analysis of replies will not be undertaken until all have been received but it is unlikely that statistics for particular districts, such as my hon. Friend requests, will be available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will adopt a national schools screening programme to detect curvature of the spine;(2) if he will list those areas which currently carry out national schools screening programme to detect curvature of the spine.

I am aware of a recent report by the Disabilities Study Unit which recommended a schools screening programme for scoliosis and I have asked for it to be studied in the Department. A full medical inspection is carried out on every child at or about school entry. Thereafter, the school health service's programme of health surveillance, should result in the detection of curvature of the spine in children who will then be referred for treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the total cost in the current year of the improvements for disabled people listed by the Minister with special responsibilities for the disabled in his speech to the House on 19 March, Official Report, c. 507–8; and what is his estimate of the total cost to his Department in the current year of the non-contributory invalidity pension, including the housewives' noncontributory invalidity pension, the invalid care allowance and the mobility allowance.

In the current year, the estimated cost of the recent tax relief for war widows is £6 million and of non-contributory invalidity pension, including that for housewives, invalid care allowance and mobility allowance together is £169 million. It is not possible, without incurring disproportionate expense, to arrive at an accurate costing for the other three improvements which I listed. In the present economic climate it is not open to us to make substantial improvements in the help available to disabled people. We shall, however, make what limited progress is possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what amounts have been spent on psychiatric, surgical and medical facilities and improvements in Nuneaton hospitals in the past five years; and whether he will make a statement on future proposals.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply shortly.